


Lovers' Night Special

by ChocoChipBiscuit



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Dinner, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 09:40:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3805714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocoChipBiscuit/pseuds/ChocoChipBiscuit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The steak’s worth it?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“Fine, but if anyone asks, you fell for me,” Calamity sighs, drumming her fingers on her forearm. Her dress has seen better days-- haven’t they all?-- but the silk flower tucked behind one ear helps offset that. Faded, but no less soft. An everlasting symbol of something ephemeral.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lovers' Night Special

“Real dumb idea.” Calamity adjusts the strap of her dress, the tattered pads of her fingers rubbing soft over the cloth.

Beatrix Russell doesn’t even have the grace to look sheepish. “Yep.” She wears her leathers with the ease of a second skin, buckles shined bright in honor of the occasion. Would hurt Calamity’s eyes if they were in broad daylight, but shadows over the Mojave moon dull their gleam.

“The steak’s worth it?”

“Yep.”

“Fine _,_ but if anyone asks, _you_ fell for _me_ ,” Calamity sighs, drumming her fingers on her forearm. Her dress has seen better days-- haven’t they all?-- but the silk flower tucked behind one ear helps offset that. Faded, but no less soft. An everlasting symbol of something ephemeral.

Ever gallant, Bea offers the crook of her arm. Calamity accepts with a roll of her eyes, the two ghouls’ footsteps falling in easy rhythm as they enter the little casino. Grit underfoot changes to worn carpet, near-slippery in contrast. Calamity grips Bea’s arm a little harder for balance, prompting a smirk, so Calamity pinches hard on the other ghoul’s forearm. Beatrix’s smirk just broadens as she winks.

After Vegas, Primm’s charm is faded at best, but at least there are no prying mutual acquaintances.

“Lovers' night special?” the hostess asks. Just the slightest up-tilt in her voice, more likely shock at two ghouls than two ladies. Primm seems like a smoothskin kinda place.

“That’s us. Lovers. Here for the special,” Beatrix says, grinning ear to ear like she just beat a super mutant at armwrestling.

Calamity restrains the urge to kick her as they’re escorted to a little table. Her ‘date’ pulls the chair out for her and Calamity takes her seat with a dramatic swish of her skirt, batting the eyelashes she no longer has in mock-swoon.

“May I start you two ladies with anything to drink?”

Beatrix orders red wine, Calamity beer-- Beatrix cocks her head at that, waiting until the waiter leaves before chuckling. “Uncultured swine.”

“Beer is proof of a loving god,” Calamity retorts, lifting her chin and staring down what’s left of her nose. “What better drink to accompany this lovely date?”

“Ah, my mouthy darling. Prickly as a cactus flower. Whatever will I do?”

“Feed me, I hope.”

Beatrix obliges by tearing a roll open, dabbing butter in the pocket and then touching it to Calamity’s lips. Without breaking eye contact, Calamity opens her mouth. Presses the bread between her teeth, dots Beatrix’s finger with her tongue. Beatrix brushes her thumb across Calamity’s lips-- chapped, more than any amount of liniment will ever heal for a ghoul, but a nice friction against Beatrix’s skin-- and asks, “Like that?”

“Might not dump you for some bright-eyed smoothskin after all,” Calamity says, not bothering to cover her mouth as she chews.

“Ouch. And I thought _I_ was the one who liked doling out pain.”

They banter through salad, soup-- then the steak, which is just as good as Bea promised. Calamity gives in to her role as the meal progresses, finishes her beer and orders some cloyingly sweet wine that lingers like orange blossoms in the back of her throat. Figures if she’s the ‘girly’ one-- because Bea can out-butch Keene when she puts her mind to it-- she might as well live it up. But she draws the line at simpering.

“Hell, dating’s brought out the soft and prissy side of you,” Bea says, smirking over the top of her glass. Her plate is pushed in front of her, only dark crumbs remaining of dessert.

“Isn’t that why you fell for me, cowgirl?” Calamity counters, stabbing her fork for emphasis. Bea parries with her own, neatly sliding off the chunk of cake skewered on the tines. It barely hits the plate before Bea plucks it, popping it into her own mouth.

“Thief.”

“Liar, bodyguard, wrestler too,” Bea says amiably.

Calamity snorts. “Keep this up, _girlfriend_ , and you’re sleeping alone tonight.”

“You’re beautiful when you’re cruel.” Bea’s boot grazes Calamity’s beneath the table. Whisper-soft, tickles other thoughts in the back of Calamity’s brain.

Tilting her head, Calamity grins. Her hand supine on the table, an offering. Bea accepts with the press of her thumb to the cup of Calamity’s palm.

“I _knew_ you’d fall first.”


End file.
